Termites

Termites, Pacific Northwest

There are several species of termites in the Pacific Northwest, they are all damp wood termites. they are much larger then the subterranean types that are common across the north America.

These winged damp wood creatures can be up to 25 mm long, including their wings and the soldiers can be up to 20 mm. They have a large head with huge mandibles. The nests have no worker termites, instead the young immature ones do all the work.

Theys get their name from the damp and decaying wood where they build their nests. They do not build their nests in the ground but instead, they find dead and decaying logs that are laying on the ground and build their nest there, the damp wood type is the most common kind on the pacific coast.

You can see Termites on all parts of the coast, just turn over a log in the forest where the soil is wet.

I can remember times when l was logging that there would be a flight in late summer of these insects and there being so many that you had to turn on your windshield wipers in order to see.